New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post hacked

The New York Times has become the latest major US news organisation to fall victim to cyber attack. Photograph: Richard Drew/AP

It was recently reported that the New York Times became the latest victim of a cyber attack, which successfully infiltrated the newspaper's networks to capture employee passwords as part of an advanced spy campaign. The attack, thought to originate from China, allegedly went undetected for a period of four months, during which it is reported that the paper's systems were "persistently" penetrated. The sophisticated attack breached defences that were in place and prompted the newspaper to lay blame at the door of its security provider, Symantec.

Symantec has since issued a statement claiming that "anti-virus software alone is not enough," suggesting that it is up to companies to "make sure they are using the full capability of security solutions."

In what was the second reported hack on a major American newspaper in a matter of days, news broke of an attack on the Wall Street Journal. It is believed that hackers – also thought to originate from China – succeeded in infiltrating the computer systems of the news outlet, in an effort to monitor the paper's coverage of China. Hot on the heels of this, news also broke that the Washington Post had also suffered a breach, with reports that the newspaper's computer systems were compromised by Chinese cyber attackers in 2012.

Jason Steer, EMEA product manager and architect at FireEye – a global leader in stopping advanced cyber attacks – said: "In today's climate of highly sophisticated IT security threats, it is important that companies understand that anti-virus and other traditional security defences are increasingly ineffective against advanced persistent threats (APTs)."

Recent attacks have evidenced the fact that advanced targeted attacks not only penetrate defences, but also spread laterally and establish a long-term foothold in the network. Steer added: "The cyber economic advantage is therefore with offence – as the cost to launch an attack is often negligible, while the cost to defend against every possible attack is high."

This flurry of serious, advanced attacks only strengthens the claim that cyber criminals are upping their game in the quest for intellectual property and other valuable information. With the odds stacked against businesses today, it is vital that companies – particularly those with highly sensitive assets to protect – are taking into account the advanced, targeted nature of today's threat.

As we can see, hackers of varying levels have become very adept at overcoming traditional forms of security. A comprehensive strategy that includes both traditional and proactive signature-less solutions is the only way to truly bolster defences against attackers.